Financial Aid

Fellowships and Scholarships

The Graduate School offers a number of fellowships and scholarships to exceptional
students. Most students can expect to receive some type of aid throughout their graduate
careers. In some cases, recipients are required to have completed a minimum amount
of graduate work prior to receiving an award. All such assistance is awarded on the
basis of the individual’s academic achievements. Interested students should contact
the program chair.

Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships • Dissertation fellowships are available to exceptional doctoral students who will
begin their final year of study. A maximum one-year stipend of $18,000 is awarded.
Resident and nonresident tuition are waived. The recipient will be responsible for
paying the required University fees.Applicants must be able to demonstrate that there is a high probability for completion
of the dissertation during the fellowship year. Dissertation fellowships are available
only to full-time students. For information on application procedures that entail
departmental nomination from March 15 to April 15 for the following fiscal year, please
visit the Financial Aid section of the Graduate School Web page.

Board of Regents Graduate Fellowship Program (PhD and MFA) • The Louisiana Educational Quality Support Fund provides Board of Regents Graduate
Fellowships for exceptionally qualified graduate students in selected professional
programs. These awards range from $14,000 to $29,000 per year for up to four years.
Resident and nonresident tuition are waived. Recipients are responsible for paying
required University fees. Academic departments eligible for these awards vary from
year to year. Most major areas award these fellowships annually, including humanities,
social sciences, basic sciences, arts, design, education, agriculture, and engineering.

Applications must be submitted to the candidate’s department and must include scores
on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination, an official
transcript of all grade point averages on all college work, a one-page narrative of
educational goals, and three letters of recommendation. Complete applications should
be submitted no later than February 15 annually.

Graduate School Tuition Awards • The graduate dean may award up to 200 tuition exemptions to graduate students from
underrepresented groups. These tuition awards provide for an exemption from either
the resident fee or both the resident and nonresident fees for up to two years. Recipients
are responsible for paying required University fees. Preference will be given to African-Americans
and students from Latin American countries. Students must be regularly admitted to
a graduate program at LSU and be nominated by their department or program.

Assistantships

More than 2,000 teaching, research, and service assistantships are awarded annually.
All communication regarding graduate assistantships should be directed to the chair
of the appropriate department. Applications and supporting credentials are accepted
at all times, but priority for graduate assistantships beginning in the fall semester
is given to applicants who submit their materials by January 25. Students who accept
assistantships before April 15 may be free to resign in order to accept another offer
up to that date. An acceptance given or left in force after April 15 is a commitment
not to accept another appointment without first obtaining formal release from the
prior commitment.

A graduate assistantship is intended to be supportive of the student’s educational
experience by relating to the graduate program in which the student is enrolled. Proposed
appointment to duties unrelated to the student’s major program must have the concurrence
of the student’s major department prior to approval by the Graduate School.

Eligibility Requirements • Only graduate students with acceptable academic records may be appointed to graduate
assistantships. A student admitted on probation may not be appointed to a graduate
assistantship until he or she achieves good standing. A graduate student placed on
academic probation by the Graduate School for failing to make satisfactory progress
may not be appointed or reappointed to a graduate assistantship unless the student’s
cumulative/semester grade point average is at least 3.00.Details and additional information regarding eligibility for a graduate assistantship
may be found in the appendices of the Graduate School Bulletin.

Stipends • Graduate assistant stipend levels vary widely depending on the department and assigned
duties. Assigned duties may include research, teaching, and/or service. Graduate assistantship
appointments may also be for one-third or one-quarter time, with an appropriate adjustment
in the stipend. Appointments for more than one-half time require special justification.
Although most appointments are made on an academic-year basis, assistantships are
available in certain departments during the summer months, with an appropriate adjustment
in the stipend.

Federal Financial Aid Programs

LSU administers all Title IV federal programs which are based on a student’s demonstrated
financial need. Funds received from the federal programs help students to cover school
expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board,books and supplies, and transportation.
All such programs are subject to regulations authorized by the United States

Department of Education, as well as University policies consistent with these federal
regulations and are subject to change.